Venezuela requests extradition from Spain of opposition leader Leopoldo López 

Caracas, May 13 (RHC)-- Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) reported via Twitter that its Criminal Cassation Chamber declared it appropriate to request that Spain extradite right-wing politician Leopoldo López Mendoza, currently a fugitive from the law.

The highest Venezuelan court points out that the legal ruling is intended for López Mendoza to serve a pending sentence in the South American country, consisting of eight years, six months and 25 days. 

The Venezuelan judicial body recalls that the opposition politician was sentenced for "the commission of the crimes of being a determiner in the crime of arson, determiner in the crime of damage, author of the crime of public instigation and association."

In the sentence, it was ordered to send to the National Executive Power, through the Ministry of People's Power for Internal Relations, Justice and Peace, certified copies of this sentence and of the proceedings in the file.

The terrorist ringleader was sentenced to 13 years, nine months and seven days in prison in 2015, for his responsibility in the events that occurred in Venezuela in February 2014, in which 43 people died.  Three years later, the TSJ sentenced him to serve his sentence in house imprisonment due to "health problems." 

On April 30, 2019, during a failed coup attempt against President Nicolás Maduro, López abandoned house arrest and took refuge in the Chilean Embassy in Caracas, and later sought asylum in the diplomatic headquarters of Spain.

López arrived in Spain on October 25, 2019 where he remains until now, and from where he has made trips to Colombia.  In December 2020, Colombian President Iván Duque revealed that his government protected López and helped him flee from the Spanish Embassy in Caracas.